Junior runs

Junior runs take place on Saturdays from 10-11am, usually somewhere around Holyrood Park. It’s suitable for all ages, but is more for fun than tough training! We aim to get out most weeks, but life sometimes gets in the way. We will send an email out to confirm.

Carnethy Hill Running Club and Hill Racing Club takes its lead on child welfare from SAL, in accordance with which, the Club has a Welfare Officer and a Child Welfare & Safeguarding Policy. The Club Welfare Officer is Lisa Boyd. Lisa’s contact details are: Tel: 07703 965717 Email: welfareofficer@carnethy.com

Please note, children under 18, (whether members or not) are accepted at Carnethy organised events and activities at the organiser’s discretion, and normally only where a parent or legal guardian attends the event or activity and takes responsibility for the child. In case of doubt, please discuss with the event or activity director.

News…

Junior trophies for the following awards:

• Best Junior Racer: most races completed
• Junior Club Champion: based on a selection of junior races, scoring 8 points as first Carnethy home, 5 points for 2nd, 3 points for 3rd, 2 points for 4th, 1 point for 5th and 1 point for 6th.
• Junior Mountain Marathoner
• Best Junior Contributor to the Club: such as supporting and/or marshaling at races, writing reports for the website/journal, helping with younger kids at the junior runs etc.

Please keep me posted on all your efforts – don’t be shy!

2017 – Allermuir Junior Trophy: Andrew Nash – for winning the Club Handicap Series and for completing the Alt C5 Series. See Trophy winners page

Junior Club Champion
Charlie Burnett for being fastest Carnethy in the Manor Water and Scald Law junior races.

Junior Contributer
Finlay Hartree For helping with the ALT C5, and encouraging many in his rugby club to come along.

Junior racer
Rosie, Ronnie and Solly Jones. Combined. For all the racing they’ve done this year.

Allermuir Junior Trophy
Charlie Burnett specifically beating his dad in the Caerketton Doonhiller. The AGM agree that this is probably the start of many wins against his dad, and also a sign of great things to come.

WINNERS FOR 2015:Hide WINNERS FOR 2015:

Best Junior Racer:

Andrew Nash with 10 races under his belt

Junior Club Champion:

Euan Burns and Andrew Nash were joint champions with 24 points, based on the following races:

Although it was -5C the sun was shining as I picked up Moira and headed for Flotterstone.
By 10:15 the car park was full and cars were starting to be dumped almost anywhere, nut I sneaked in to prime space just by the Cafe.
By 10:45 the teams were arriving and with my usual scrawl of team names on the clipboard was to be complained about bitterly later, by Helen as she was trying to fill in the times.
By 11am we had a record 8 teams as we headed up the the start Knoll. After brief juggling of teams and descriptions of routes the teams set off up the hill.
Nick and Moira had a slight start to give them time to get into Marshaling position.
It was actually rather pleasantly warm on the hill as we watched the group ascend Turnhouse.
Surprisingly quickly there was a fast moving junior heading back, James Burnett was stirding effortlessly across the hill and was back in an amazing 13:46. Angus Gardiner was 2nd in 17:20 with Ross Dunlop 3rd in 18:09.
Team Burnett was 1st Mediums in too with Charlie taking 22:56 and to ensure a complete team hat-trick Neil was first long leg in 27:17.

James Burnett 13:46

Charlie Burnett 22:56

Neil Burnett 27:17

63:59

Angus Gardiner 17:20

Caroline Gardiner 33:05

Douglas Gardiner 35:45

86:10

Ross Dunlop 18:09

Iain Dunlop 36:39

Alasdair Dunlop 35:28

90:16

Hayley/Morgan Whitlie 21:23

Hayden Whitlie 33:09

Stewart Whitlie 35:45

90:17

Fionna, Connor, Rowan Mackinnon 27:07

Win Rampen 34:00

Euan McKinnnon 35:20

96:27

Rosie, Solly Jones 23:15

Matt, Ronnie Jones 39:28

Mary Jones 39:00

101:43

Harry/ Kate 25:52

Scott 36:47

Jane 42:51

105:50

Ken Fordyce and family 34:01

Please email webteam if I got any names wrong!

The kids all seemed happy as they demolished the juice crisps and biscuits at the finish.
Well done to all the teams and big thanks to Nick Macdonald and Moira Stewart for standing on the hill. Chris Busby for sweeping the medium leg, and Helen Wise for complaining about my poorly written timesheet. Willie Gibson

Today I did a race with my two sisters, Darcy and Emily. I ran for Carnethy. It was very hard because of the weather – there was deep snow but sunny. The running was hard because I kept sliding. I got a certificate, and if you had a muddy patch and were smiling at the end you got an extra prize – some chocolate and some juice.Sophie Burns

A beautiful day. A cold NW wind but sunny, though muddy underfoot.
All of the youngsters took part in a good spirit and with obvious enjoyment.
The three runners who had competed last year were all faster. See minus sign in “change” column above.
Many thanks to Val for running the show and marshalling and to Mark for marshalling and course clearing. Also to Claire and Jess, judge and timekeeper first class. Janine – International Smile Judge and Jamie – Muddy Patch Judge. Nicola was here, there and everywhere!
Next Fun Run in the series:- Cockleroy Chaser (At Beecraigs Festive Handicap.) Monday, December 26th.Martin Hyman
01506 412322 martinhyman@clara.co.uk

Well done Andrew! Prizegiving tomorrow at Northfield House Hotel.
It would also be good to remind the race winners to turn up if they want a bottle of wine.
They are: Boghall – Digby (peaked too early maybe?)
Romanno Bridge – Pete Curtis
Harlaw – Scott Henderson
Broughton – Pete Curtis (again – how did that happen?)
Bonaly – Catherine Forrest
Arthurs Seat – Mark Hooper
See you Wednesday Phil

Summer holidays for the kids can be so boring when they would rather be at school….don’t you parents agree??. To keep Finlay busy and get my creaking knees going we have done a few things. As part of the Bouroughmuir Barbarian U16 Rugby training we have done another series of 7 hill running sessions to get the lads out of bed on a Sunday and keep them fit and motivated for next season. They are a good bunch and in amongst them could be the future of Scottish Rugby and maybe even the future of Scottish Hill running in a few cases. Runs have been an hour long and up to 9km including beaches, the Esk Valley, the Pentlands and the last one this Sunday at 1100 on Arthurs Seat if you want to join in. We’ve had all kinds of weather and including the odd river, reservoir or sea to get them wet.

Having up’d the hill fitness a bit I conned Finlay and Sparky to a bus trip to Nine Mile Burn and he did his first 11 miler along the reverse of the First leg of the Skyline back to hillend in just over 3 hrs. That seemed to go well so when on holiday in Cornwall we entered the Man vrs Gig race which is a fun event with runners against 6 ‘gigs’ who with a team of 6-8 rowers row while you run. Gigs were originally built to take pilots out to incoming vessels in the Atlantic. It is a hilly coastal route out and back including 2 miles of killer soft sandy beach in the middle. The winner was Keswick’s Carl Bell who showed his Wasdale Skyline winning pace to all challengers and won easily. Finlay, who had to act like a youthful 21 year old to get entry, came 18th. I puffed in 23rd/100+ runners and accepted Finlay’s pint for him as consolation for loosing again to the lad. We did a warmdown family walk from Looe to Polperro along the SW Coastal Path which looks like one cracker of an Ultra route or week+ of walking, camping, running….if anyone fancies it.

On the way back home to Edinburgh there was 2 good days of weather forecast so having stopped the night at Kendal to break up the journey, we packed for a lightweight walking reccee of a few legs of the Bob Graham round. Both had sore knees and so took a fairly fast walk from Dumail to camp at Wasdale and then Wasdale to Honister, ticking 22 hills over 30 miles and around 4000m ascent. We confirmed that Yewbarrow is a bugger of a climb, that the Lakes hill are sometime wee and rocky, and that Finlay was suitable tired but the end when thunder, lightning and rain stopped play, so we missed that last and first legs which we ( I ) had planned and bagged a lift to Keswick for a B&B and a bus and train home.

Archie (JM10) was 1st male and 2nd overall from 132 runners at Sunday’s Junior Parkrun in Inverleith. He ran the 2km course in 8 minutes exactly. Zoe Macdonald (JW11-14) of Musselburgh & District AC won in 7.57. He nearly caught her though…Mike Lynch

A profoundly disappointing turn out. However, the four takers all showed talent and enthusiasm. It is reported that more than half the field in the Chapelgill race were over 50. We have to ask ourselves what could we be doing to encourage youngsters to enjoy the sport of hill running.

As usual, we are grateful to Edel, Val and Mark for vital help in course marking, marshalling, time keeping etc. Thanks also to Kate Kitchin (Muddy Patch Judge) and Neil Burnett (International Smile Judge).

Martin Hyman, the 83 year old disorganiser, would like to know whether folk think it is worth continuing to organise the race in future.

“Everyone’s youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness” wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald and on what was recognized as being some of the worst conditions ever in the 47 years of the Senior Race, 9 courageous youngsters set out in the same conditions on a reduced junior course (for safety reasons) due to the chemistry of the kids, the event, and the conditions and had a ball! All safely out and back, cold but satisfied.
Well done to all who competed and completed and to those who made it happen and who marshalled on the day in appalling conditions. Nick Macdonald

With the Burns Clan and the Hubert Gang away I was unsure how many people we would have for todays relay, I had an email telling me the Gardiners were coming so at least there would be one team.
The mild weather and lack of rain was a good start as Helen and I walked the course and put out the markers and as we got back to the Ranger Centre an enthusiastic Jenna arrived. The Gardiners followed then the Burnetts and the Joneses. so we had four teams and no difficult sorting out, Hooray. Unaccompanied adults Alan Hogg and Helen Wise were added to prop up the long legs of the McGowan and Jones teams and we were off.
James Burnett showed the benefit of Christmas Mudclaws to come back in first with Angus Gardiner 3 minutes behind, Jenna was 3rd and the Joneses brought up the rear.
Charlie Burnett was the first middle leg runner back closely followed by Ritchie Gardiner.
The long leg runners followed the same order with Neil ahead of Douglas.
With Burnetts all 1st and Gardiners all 2nd there was not any adding up required to sort out the winners
Well done to all the juniors and it is great to see the Middle leg being run by Juniors too, Well done Charlie, Ritchie and Ronnie.
Thanks to Nick MacDonald for being the race Marshal and pointing the juniors in the right direction.Willie Gibson

The weather was cloudy and sunny. First we ran along a pavement and through a park. Then we went into a freezing river except my sister Darcy who got carried by our mum. Then everybody got muddy because we went into a muddy bog but after that it was pavement for a bit. We ran up a grassy hill and back down to the finish line.

I loved the race even though it nearly killed me. But we all got prizes, so I am glad I did the race.

All of the youngsters took part in a good spirit and with obvious enjoyment. The weather, which was far kinder than forecast, was a big help.
Three of the four runners who had competed last year were a lot faster. See minus sign in “change” column above.
Many thanks to Val for running the show and marshalling and Mark for marshalling and course clearing. Also to Andrea – International Smile and Muddy Patch Judge. Jane – finish recorder and Julia – helper.

This time of year Archie and I usually do a parkrun in order for him to get limbered up for his defence of the Tinto Tiptoe. However, he’s on cub camp this year on the Tinto weekend, but we still took advantage of staying with Old Mother Lynch to run the Kirkcaldy version. If anyone has run any of the Fife AC Beveridge Park Series, well they’ll know the course, sort of. There is an additional loop around the duck pond on the parkrun, which is different from the Fife AC version.
The aim was to get Archie under 23 minutes, but without my Garmin (which I’d left at the FRA Relays), pacing was a bit off-the-cuff, but we managed it, through some gentle cajoling and a carrot of £20 (the boy is a born capitalist). His time of 22.53 placed him 30th overall and 1st JM10. A really nice course with a couple of gentle climbs and a fast finish.
Results here: http://www.parkrun.org. uk/kirkcaldy/results/ latestresults/Mike Lynch

My Dad and I did the Rab Mountain Marathon on the weekend of 24 and 25 September. It was in Mallerstang, in the Yorkshire Dales. We’d done the Saunders Mountain Marathon the previous year, so were a bit better prepared. For the Saunders, we were surprised how difficult the navigation was, especially as a lot of it was in the mist. However, for this year’s Rab, the weather was better – although overcast, the cloud was quite high, and we could see where we had to get to. The terrain was a mixture of pleasant, ‘runnable’ grassy slopes, and deep heather with bog. Whilst most people were doing the score classes, we were doing the linear ‘C’ course. This year, we all wore GPS trackers, so all our supporters could follow us live! It also allowed us to see our routes after and see if we made any mistakes. As it happened, navigation was straightforward, and we got to the half-way camp in 14th (out of 29).
Much to Dad’s delight, there was a pub ½ a kilometre from the camp! I’m not sure if the pub was prepared for an influx of sweaty runners all with plastic bags on their feet. We saw some little tables in the pub with ‘Reserved’ signs on them – I hope they weren’t for people looking for a quiet romantic meal!
The hardest part of the whole weekend was trying to sleep. The weather was really windy and rainy and I was worried the tent would fall down. It didn’t, and after an early breakfast of noodles and cup-a-soup, we were ‘running’ again at 7:30. The second day was a lot shorter than the first (15km vs 21km), with less climbing (600m vs 900m), and we were finished by 11:50 – finishing 13th in our class.
Overall, we really enjoyed the weekend, but I wouldn’t have said that at 2am on Sunday morning! We’ll try it (or the Saunders) again next year and try and finish up the finishing order.
The only other Carnethies we met were Alex McVey and John Ryan. They were lying 4th in the long score class at half way, but did even better on the Sunday to make it up to second place (only missing out on first by 14 points!). Well done.Euan Burns

This was Solly’s first attempt at the race, and he managed the 1.5km in good cheer (and plenty of congenital Lye flail) despite his trousers repeatedly falling down. Juice and chocolate after the race, plus cooing at the baby coos made for a great afternoon.